Pika's Journey
by Ikku Kun
Summary: Pika's tribe is decimated during an attack. She will embark in a vengeance-fueled adventure to obtain immeasurable power, or lose herself forever.


Midterm Creative Project

Presented to Dr. Perwaiz Hayat

RELI 226

By

Isaias VAZQUEZ ZAMBRANO (40065168)

Concordia University

May 27, 2019

**Pika's Journey**

The Pika is a small mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia. It is too slow to outrun any predators, and its feet are too feeble to dig any tunnels. Therefore, it chooses to live inside rocky formations in the mountains. Its fragile body dies if it's exposed to temperatures higher than 25 C, but it can be found in the Himalayas, at a height of over 20,000 ft.

Pika lived a thousand lives, and died a thousand deaths. She loved a thousand loves, and mourned a thousand lost ones. She explored lands beyond any map, and studied truths beyond any book. She's been queen and mendicant, guide and conqueror, as well as judge, jury and executioner. One day, Pika was a wanderer, having lost her home to a raid executed by the tribe of the valley. Most of Pika's people, the tribe of the mountain, had perished during the attack. The survivors decided to live as nomads, walking from one location to the next. However, Pika could not forget this easily. She took her father's headband and her husband's blade.

Pika knew that her hands were too weak to take on the warriors of the valley, and her mind too simple to outsmart their leader. So Pika set off on a journey to surpass herself and avenge her loved ones.

After walking for a thousand hours, Pika arrived at the edge of a cliff. There lied a large tent in which lived the oracle. Pika walked into the tent, in the middle of it, there was a silhouette surrounded by a veil which took up most of the space inside the home. The place was filled with candles, but it was as if most of the light inside came from within the veil. A voice rose from within the veil and spoke:

-"O traveler, what do you seek?" The voice was deep, but each word carried an intense soothing effect for anyone who would hear it.

-"I'm a survivor from the mountain clan," said Pika. "My remaining brothers have chosen exile, but I demand revenge from the valley clan which has caused us great sorrow."

The old one spoke: "Stranger, your comrades buried the dead but you still carry them with you. Your feet are tired, but the rage within your heart is relentless. You carry items of your past: your husband's blade and the revolver your mother helped you craft could be tools for hunting; your father's tribal headband could be a memento of your family, yet you've let your hatred turn these items into instruments of revenge, and revenge seeks blood. Wherever it's your own or your enemy's makes no difference. Are you certain this is the path you wish to walk?"

Pika looked down. After a brief pause, she answered: "I cannot let my comrades' deaths go unpunished. If my life is the price to pay for justice then it is a fair price."

The wise one said: "Wrath has blinded your eyes, but only you can save yourself. There is only one path that can redeem you, but it may also destroy you; the choice will be yours and yours only." The voice stopped for a second.

-"The strength you seek can only be obtained by facing three great evils: one lies inside the cave of endless echo, the second can be found in the forest of endless rebirth. However, the third evil will present itself to you and you nothing I can tell you can prepare you for it. You must know that after you confront the three evils, you will receive great riches, but none will satisfy you. Now leave the tribute you have brought me and depart, o wanderer. But remember that this is not a journey that you will survive."

Pika bowed down, opened her backpack and left her deceased son's teddy bear as an offering for the oracle. She stood up and walked out of the tent.

After walking for months, the traveller reached the cave of endless echo. It was a beautiful day: the sun shines over some old mining equipment left near the cave's entrance, the clear sky is engulfed with birds of all sizes, and the wind blows over Pika's skin. She stepped away from this world of life and entered the cave.

The tunnel was long and narrow. I was poorly lit and the air was heavy. As Pika walked further into the cave, she heard a noise. The sound repeated itself over and over; it was the sound metal striking. Pika arrived at a large chamber. Inside was a tall man with long hair hitting the wall with his pickaxe. It took a moment for the man to notice Pika.

-"Who are you stranger? I am Lalaach (Greed). This cave was discovered by my ancestors. We mined it for coal, but found something extraordinary instead. We found a metal unlike any we had ever seen before. With it, we forged the sharpest blades and unbreakable armour. We thought this cave was a blessing from the gods. However, I discovered something even greater: instead of contenting myself with this new discovery, I dug even deeper, and found yet another metal. This one was superior to the previous one in every way, so I made a new set of armour and weapons with it. But why stop there? I kept digging, and digging, and my discoveries continued."

Pika looked at the wall in the cave where was hanged an incredible set of armour. With something like this, she would undoubtedly be unbeatable. She took a step towards it, but stopped immediately after an incredible shock hit the cave.

-"Earthquakes are normal at this depth," said Lalaach."You will never obtain the ultimate armour if something like this scares you."

Pika took a deep breath and started a full sprint towards the set of armour, the walls shook even faster than her legs. She grabbed the chest pieces and ran towards the exit, but something stopped her almost immediately. The armour was incredibly heavy; it took every bit of strength Pika had to carry it. The earthquake got worse as she ran towards the light. Greed let out a sinister laugh as stones started falling from the ceiling. "Fool, my next piece will be even greater!"

Pika could see the exit as the tunnel started to collapse behind her. She was too slow, and the armour was too heavy for her to run properly. When she felt pebbles starting to hit her shoulders, Pika dropped the chest piece and ran as fast as she could. She got out of the cave in the nick of time.

The wanderer was disappointed, but there was no way to go back inside, so she turned around and continued her path.

After walking for weeks, Pika reached the forest of endless rebirth. The forest was quiet and brimming with life. There was no sign of anyone, so the traveller decided to camp out for the night. She was awakened during the night by a terrible scream followed by a loud sound. She approached the sound quietly, and she discovered a gigantic man that was striking the trees while yelling.

-"Who are you traveller?" yelled the giant. "Are you here so that I can kill you too? I am Ghrena (Hatred)! I am revenge! I am fury! I had my revenge, I killed them all! I avenged my brothers; I know I killed their assassins, but my enemies keep coming, and as long as they come I will kill them, and as long as I kill, I won't die." He yelled as he kept punching the trees with his bare fists. The trees felt as the man yelled "Die, die, die," Pika started feeling dizzy, she stumbled around for a moment and in the beat of an eye, the sound was gone. The man was gone. The trees were gone. Where they stood now stand members of the valley clan. Pika did not think, she unsheathed her blade and took out her revolved and started hacking at her enemies.

The air was filled with the smell of blood and gun powder. Pika was covered in blood, her weapon was empty, her arms began to tire, but the enemies kept coming. She felt a presence behind her she turned around and attacked with her sword. Her blade got stuck in the chest of a young boy bearing the tribal markings of the tribe of the valley, but his face was the same as his son's. Pika froze on the spot. Everyone around her disappeared, the air cleared up, she was back on the forest. She looked around her: she had shot, sliced, and diced the trees around her, just as Hatred was still doing a few feet from her. Pika felt down on the ground, her breathing was violent, she was shaking. She ran away, leaving her husband's sword stuck on the tree she had struck.

After running for what felt like hours. She stopped near a lake to stop and calm down. She looked around her; most of the trees in that area were either damaged or on the floor, victim to Hatred's rampage. Pika looked down on the ground and she noticed young trees that were starting to grow, ready to replace the fallen ones. "Nature doesn't care about our troubles." She thought. Pika arrived at an abandoned shelf where Ghrena once lived. Inside there was a large gold mask. A marking on the wall read": I took their lives, I took their biggest treasure, but what good was that?" Pika took the mask and strapped it to her back without thinking, and continued her path.

Pika walked aimlessly for days, questioning the very nature of her quest. Tired of carrying the heavy gold mask, she put it down, and lied down to sleep in the forest. An apparition came to her during her sleep. She was surrounded by infinite darkness, unable to see even what she was standing on. In front of her came a grotesque figure, it moved like a toad, but had long, human shaped limbs. Its skin was pitch black, and its face was covered by a white mask. The mask simply depicted a smile and crying eyes. The creature spoke: "I am Agyaan (Delusion), devourer of thoughts. I know who you are, Pika of the mountain tribe. You claim to seek justice, but I know what you're really looking for. You want to forget. You want to forget the pain that's eating you away. I can help you, you simply need to ask. Do you want to forget your enemy's humanity? That way you can slay them like the animals you know they are? Do you want to forget fear? Fear that you will most likely die in this battle. Do you perhaps want to forget your family?" Pika froze once again. "Forget their bloody, lifeless face? Forget them entirely so you can be liberated from the pain of your loss?" Pika felt on the ground, an intense panic invaded her; she looked down and covered her ears. Delusion laughed and walked circles around her. Pika grasped her pistol and started rubbing her headband, repeating a prayer. She tried to grasp her blade, only to remember her sheathe was empty, the panic intensified. Pika stood up with the intention of running. "You know you want to forget," said Delusion while laughing. Once Pika was standing, she realized a man was in front of her, at arm's reach. It was her husband, but it wasn't the bloody version she had last seen. He was just as she always thought of him, clean strong and smiling. He reached towards her and hugged her. Pika felt calm again and smiled back. "NO!" Screamed Agyaan with anger.

Pika woke up; she was still in the forest. It was sunrise, and a deer with a saddle stood next to her. She smiled and caressed it. She loaded the mask and her belonging on the deer, and kept walking with it.

Much time later, Pika and the deer were in a valley. They had exhausted their supplies and the deer was now only carrying the mask. Both were tired. On the road, they stumbled upon a man on the floor. The man was wounded and had been stripped of all his belongings and tribal markings. Pika put the unconscious man on the deer, unloaded the mask and left it behind. She instructed the deer to bring the man to safety, the deer left and Pika continued her path alone.

Pika arrived at a roadblock. It was guarded by two men of the valley tribe. She looked at them from afar, she decided to sit down and meditate. She knew she could kill them both, but somehow, she didn't want to. She took out her pistol and removed her tribal headband; she dug a hole in the dirt and buried them. She bowed down and recited a prayer, then continued her path. The two guards took Pika for a beggar and let her pass, but not without mocking her. The vagrant walked without paying attention to the men's insults.

After walking for a thousand days, Pika arrived at a mountain. Near a cave, there was a tree from which Pika could look at the entirety of the valley. Next to that tree, Pika meditated a thousand times, smiled a thousand more, and was never born again.


End file.
